Akshaya Tritiya Alert: Fake gold-silver scam exposed. How conman who earlier duped Aditya Pancholi & Salim Khan's aide trapped victims

A long-running interstate fraud racket targeting wealthy individuals has been busted by Gurgaon Police, with the arrest of a seasoned conman who allegedly duped victims using fake gold coins in a carefully planned scam. The accused, identified as Solanki Prabhubhai Gulshanbhai alias Kalpesh, reportedly approached victims posing as a poor labourer. According to The Times of India (TOI), his latest target was a city-based exporter whose car had broken down near Pachgaon Chowk in February.

Pretending to have discovered a hidden treasure during excavation, Kalpesh claimed he had gold and silver coins that he wanted to sell discreetly.

Fake Gold Coin Scam: How Victims Were Trapped

The scam followed a calculated pattern:

• The accused first offered a few genuine coins for testing
• Once verified, the victim’s trust was gained
• A larger deal was then proposed at a “discounted” rate
• The bulk coins delivered later turned out to be fake (brass and gold-plated copper)

As per TOI, the exporter ended up paying around Rs 2.5 crore and 50 gold tolas, believing he was buying a valuable treasure.

Victim Borrowed Money, Sold Family Gold

Police revealed that the victim went to extreme lengths to arrange the money.

According to TOI, he borrowed heavily from friends and relatives and even parted with ancestral jewellery, convinced he was making a profitable deal.

The final exchange reportedly took place at his residence in Sushant Lok, after which the accused fled.

Interstate Gang Targeted High-End Car Owners

The investigation found that the gang specifically targeted people with luxury cars, especially those stranded on highways.

As reported by TOI, the accused would conduct recce operations and approach victims pretending to be labourers or machine operators, claiming they had found treasure during railway or construction work.

To make the offer more tempting, they priced the “gold” at Rs 25–30 lakh per kilogram, luring buyers with the promise of huge profits.

Gurgaon Police Arrest Key Accused

The case was cracked by the Gurgaon Police crime branch team led by Inspector Narender Sharma.

Kalpesh and his driver were arrested from Vadodara, while two other accused were nabbed from Gujarat. Police also identified the involvement of a jeweller who allegedly helped manufacture the fake coins.

DCP Hitesh Yadav told TOI that the accused had been running such scams for nearly 25 years across multiple states.

Past Victims Include Bollywood Links

In a shocking revelation, police said the accused had previously duped actor Aditya Pancholi of around Rs 20 lakh and also cheated an aide of Salim Khan of Rs 25 lakh.

However, TOI reported that no formal complaints were filed in those cases.

Assets, Film Venture and Political Links

Police investigations revealed that the accused used the proceeds of crime to build significant assets, including:

• Purchasing a hotel on the Delhi-Mumbai highway
• Producing a Gujarati film titled Love You
• Attempting to gain political influence by fielding his wife in local elections

Kalpesh reportedly has four wives and multiple cases registered across Gujarat, Maharashtra and Rajasthan.

Recovery and Ongoing Investigation

So far, police have recovered:

• Rs 2.3 crore in cash
• 678 grams of gold

Two women linked to the gang, currently lodged in a Kota jail, are expected to be brought in for questioning. The Income Tax Department may also join the probe.

Inputs from TOI